Young Americans turns 50

Bill Brawley, CEO and Artistic Director of the Young Americans, gets students pumped up and ready before a rehearsal. Brawley performed with the Young Americans in 1973 at the age of 20.PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Milton C. Anderson, a one-time high school music teacher in Los Angeles and TV music director, saw a disconnect between the emerging images of young Americans in the 1960s and the kids who had been in his classrooms.

Those kids weren't rabble rousers and hooligans. How could Anderson show to the world what he thought was the true nature of American youth?

In 1962, he started a choir drawn from the most talented high school kids and young adults in the area. And he would bring a twist to the standard choir performances where the singers stood planted on risers and mostly sang four-part arrangements.

Small in stature but big on vision, Anderson taught the talented young singers complex six-part arrangements and got them moving around. Think "Glee" without all the melodrama.

He insisted that the group maintain no political leanings or religious affiliations, no allegiance to anything other than the enthusiasm evoked by the name he gave them: The Young Americans. Their look was clean-cut and wholesome.

With plenty of support and connections in the Hollywood community, including that of "Twilight Zone" creator Rod Serling, Anderson got his show choir booked on the biggest television variety shows of the day. They toured nationally and even had a documentary made about them that won an Oscar, only to later have it taken away.

Many of its alumni have gone on to much success in show business – including actresses Vicki Lawrence and Nia Peeples, "Desperate Housewives" producer Marc Cherry, Tony Award winning choreographer Jerry Mitchell, TV host Mark. L. Walberg and country singer Skip Ewing.

As its 50th anniversary rolls around, The Young Americans may be absent from the big and little screens, and the octogenarian Anderson slowing with age, but the endeavor is as dynamic as ever on stage and behind the scenes, performing around the world and teaching the love of music, dance and acting to thousands of children here and abroad.

Here's a look at three Young Americans who represent its past, present and future – all at the same time.

'REALLY, REALLY COOL'

At 16, Elizabeth McGinley earned a spot as one of the original Young Americans. She was Betty Lou Kautto back then in 1962, a junior at Torrance High.

McGinley, now 67, stayed with the group into the late '60s when she graduated from college with a teacher's credential. The longtime Laguna Hills resident recently moved to Banning and now serves as director of student services for the 200 or so students at The Young Americans College for the Performing Arts in Corona.

She recalls her time as a performer under the guidance of founder Milton C. Anderson, who innovated by bringing six-part arrangements and movement to choir performances that highlighted Americana and folk songs:

He sent an invitation to all the Los Angeles County and Orange County high schools. Choir directors were asked to please send two people to the audition. My friend and I were selected from our choir. We auditioned, and, boom, we got in.

There were 36 of us. Mr. Anderson's requirement was that we all had to be good students because the weekends might be involved with rehearsals and he didn't want our studies to fall in any way ...

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Bill Brawley, CEO and Artistic Director of the Young Americans, gets students pumped up and ready before a rehearsal. Brawley performed with the Young Americans in 1973 at the age of 20. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Milton C. Anderson directs a choir of first-year students at The Young Americans performing arts school in Corona. Anderson, who started the group in 1962, originally recruited students from high schools in Orange and Los Angeles counties. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Young Americans CEO and Artistic Director Bill Brawley works with students as he stages an upcoming show. Brawley was himself a Young American at age 18 back in 1973. Over the years The Young Americans have performed in many variety shows on TV as well as performed around the country. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Milton C. Anderson directs a choir of students during a recent rehearsal at The Young Americans performing arts school in Corona. Anderson founded The Young Americans in 1962 and has nurtured thousands of performing artists through the years. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Young Americans founder Milton Anderson, left, confers with artistic director Bill Brawley as they work out the staging for an upcoming show during a rehearsal at the school's Corona campus. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The sentiments of a Young Americans student is tattooed on her shoulder. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Elizabeth McGinley is one of the original members of The Young Americans show choir that started in 1962. She is now the director of student services at the Young Americans college in Corona. LINDSAY PIERSON
Elizabeth McGinley is the tall blond at front and center in this Young Americans photo from 1963. She was Betty Lou Kautto back then, a student at Torrance High. McGinley is now the director of student services at The Young Americans College of the Performing Arts.
The Young Americans performed with singer Johnny Mathis at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles in 1964. Elizabeth McGinley, an original Young American who now serves as director of student services at the Young Americans performing arts college, is directly behind his left shoulder in this photo. GENERAL ARTISTS CORPORATION
This page from The Young Americans 50th anniversary book contains a photo and newspaper clippings from the early 1960s of their appearance with singer Johnny Mathis, a big supporter.
Columbia Pictures released this movie still for the 1967 documentary "Young Americans" that won an Academy Award for Best Documentary. The Oscar was taken away a week later because it turned out the movie had been shown in a small town theater the previous year. Elizabeth McGinley, one of the original Young Americans and the student services director at the group's Corona campus, is in the back row, fourth from the right. COURTESY OF YOUNG AMERICANS
Representing the latest generation of Young Americans is Desiree Dennis-Dylan, at center, performing with the drum. She became a Young American in 2004, taught at the college and now works in Hollywood. She is a second-generation Young American, following in the footsteps of her mother, Carol Dennis-Dylan. COURTESY OF YOUNG AMERICANS
Desiree Dennis-Dylan sings during a performance with The Young Americans. She joined the group in 2004 and last fall helped teach new students at the group's performing arts college in Corona. COURTESY OF YOUNG AMERICANS
First-year Young Americans students keep a sharp eye out as Milton Anderson, right, directs them in a song they are rehearsing for an upcoming performance. Anderson is the founder of The Young Americans. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Young Americans founder Milton Anderson, left, relays instructions to artistic director Bill Brawley, center, and some students as they work out the staging for an upcoming performance. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Young Americans founder Milton Anderson is alone with his thoughts while students take a break from rehearsing for an upcoming performance. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Enthusiastic Young Americans respond to a question during a rehearsal session for an upcoming show. When The Young Americans was first formed by Milton Anderson in the 1960s, they would perform in any number of TV shows as well as perform around the country. With the wane of TV variety shows, The Young Americans now perform on national tours of dinner shows, private performances, education programs for schools and international performances. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Young Americans artistic director Bill Brawley works on the staging for an upcoming performance. Brawley was himself a Young American back in 1973. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
With the attention of first-year Young Americans students, founder Milton Anderson begins to fine tune the choir's sound during a rehearsal for an upcoming performance. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A first-year student, right, watches for her cue from Young Americans founder Milton Anderson during a rehearsal for an upcoming performance. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Young Americans founder Milton Anderson, center, works through some music with students along with artistic director Bill Brawley, right. The Young Americans performing arts school campus is located in an industrial area of Corona. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Young Americans founder Milton Anderson, right, with current CEO and artistic director Bill Brawley. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Susie Johnson, who helps run the front office at the Young Americans performing arts school in Corona, was once a student performer with The Young Americans. She went on to a career as a freelance TV production coordinator at Paramount. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
These Young Americans rehearse for their 40th anniversary show at Knott's Berry Farm back in 2002. FILE: THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Founder of The Young Americans, Milton Anderson, right, leads the group during a rehearsal for the 40th anniversary show back in 2002. FILE: THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Young Americans in promotional material for a previous performance in Orange County.
This poster of the Young Americans was used as promotional material for a 2008 performance.
Young Americans' founder Milton C. Anderson, center, goes over some music with students at the Young Americans college in Corona as Bill Brawley, right, looks on. Brawley became a Young American in 1973 and is now the CEO and artistic director. The group is practicing for 50th anniversary performances. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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